


Fighting Back

by congressmanmabel



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Based on Fan Art, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s02e20 Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back the Falls, Missing Scene, Recovered Memories, References to Dreamscaperers, Stanuary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-02-28 02:43:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13261947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/congressmanmabel/pseuds/congressmanmabel
Summary: Dipper looked up to his Grunkle with watery eyes and a tearful smile.“But I found out the reason why you being hard on me and giving me all the difficult chores was because you were trying to toughen me up. So whenever the world tried to fight me, I’d be able to fight back…Because you really cared about me…”





	Fighting Back

**Author's Note:**

> Stanuary Weeks 3 and 4 Prompts - Youth (childhood, children) and Safe (help, healing, rest, emotional support)
> 
> This fic was inspired by this fanart by @hntrgurl13 https://hntrgurl13.tumblr.com/post/168661777392/there-was-one-time-i-got-to-take-a-look-into-your

To say that Stanley Pines had an overwhelming day would be a massive understatement.

When he first woke up, he found himself situated in the middle of the forest clearing. He was greeted by Dipper and Mabel, his twelve-year-old niblings. Unfortunately, Stan did not recognize who they were at first. His initial reaction prompted them to break down into sobs, with his brother Ford tightly hugging him while his nephew consoled his heartbroken niece. Stan was awfully confused at their anguish, but he remained silent as the broke down into tears. After his family finished shedding their tears, they carefully lead him back to their home, a small humble shack in shambles. Despite the downtrodden mood, Stan was more than happy to make himself at home.

Once Stan got himself comfortable on the couch, Mabel retrieved her summer scrapbook and showcased all of the pictures to restart his memory. Dipper soon joined in by recalling some events that occurred over the summer. Within a few seconds time, Stan started to put names to certain faces, mainly Waddles and Soos, and was slowly regaining his memories of his family.

The Pines family spent all day gathered on the couch as they read through the scrapbook, with his niblings recalling their summer memories to him. Dipper and Mabel explained all of his heroic deeds, from punching zombies to saving them from Gideon during the mayoral campaign. Mabel gushed over everything he had done, from saving Waddles to becoming obsessed with Ducktective. Soos also spoke highly of him, claiming him to be the greatest businessman of all time.

By the time evening rolled around, Soos had to leave early to check on his Abuelita, Ford and Mabel had passed out on the couch, and Dipper was scavenging the house for Stan’s favorite books, mainly his corny old joke-books designed for the dads and uncles demographic. Stanley decided that he needed to get some fresh air, so he stepped outside and settled himself on the steps of the dilapidated front porch. He propped his head into his hands and stared out into the radiant sunset, painting the forest with warm shades of red and orange.

As much as Stan wanted to relish in the overwhelmingly high praise his family was giving him, he couldn’t help but wonder if they were too good to be true. But was he really such a good uncle and boss? Stan certainly didn’t feel like it. He felt as though there were some things missing, and as he tried to think about it, his mind went blank.

“Hey, Grunkle Stan!”

The old man looked over his shoulder to see Dipper holding two cans of Pitt Cola. The soon to be thirteen-year-old entered the front porch and sat beside Stanley, handing him one of the Pitt Colas. The old man accepted the soda from his nephew with a small grateful smile.

“How are you feeling?” Dipper asked.

“Kinda fuzzy,” Stan replied honestly. “I mean, I remember you, Mabel, Soos, and Ford, and I know that I’m a professional con artist who runs a successful tourist trap. Although I’m still blanking in some spots.”

Dipper nodded. “I understand. Though not too long ago, McGucket lost his memories the same way you did and he recovered most of his memories. You two should talk about it soon,” He offered hopefully. “It’ll give you guys some common ground.”

Stan gave a hearty chuckle at the prospect of bonding with someone else who had memory problems. But seconds later he scrunched his face as he tried to remember who this McGucket person was. Dipper noticed his Grunkle puzzling and he lightly tapped his shoulder. “Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’ll come back to you soon.”

The old man sadly smiled at his nephew. “Thanks, Dipper.”

Stan opened up his soda and began drinking, the familiar carbonated peach flavor tingling his taste buds. He looked over at his nephew who opened up his own can. The boy chuckled softly.

“You know, this brings me back to earlier this summer…” Dipper recalled.

Stan looked at the boy with curious eyes. The wide, child-like gaze the boy received prompted him to continue speaking. “There was one time I got to take a look into your mind-”  
“You looked into my mind?” Stan asked confusedly.

Dipper responded with a small smile and began to gently pat Stan on the back. “I know that sounds crazy, but bear with me. You kept on giving me all of the hard chores to do around the house, like shooing away wild animals that barged into the house, fixing up the sink, chopping up firewood. And I was so angry at you because I thought you hated me.”

A sorrowful laugh escaped from Dipper, and he facepalmed himself while playfully shaking his head. Stan continued to stare at his nephew with owlish eyes. “I’m so glad that I was wrong.” The boy blissfully confessed.

Stan furrowed his brow concernedly. “What happened?”

Dipper looked up at his Grunkle and saw a mixture of fear and sadness in his eyes. But he wanted to hear the rest of the tale, like a small child wanting to listen to a bedtime story from their parent.

“Alright, I’ll give you the details.” Dipper exhaled, his voice filled with sentiment. “So this evil dream demon invaded your mind to find some secret code for Gideon, your business rival, who wanted the deed to the Mystery Shack. But me, Mabel and Soos, went inside your mind via some weird spell I found from one of Ford’s journals. So once we entered your mind, Mabel and Soos began searching for the code, but I didn’t want to because I thought that you hated me.”

Stan sadly frowned. His nephew immediately noticed his Grunkle’s distress and he gave the old man a soft pat on his hand.

“Don’t be so glum Grunkle Stan, this story has a happy ending,” Dipper assured him. “So I explored your mind, I learned that when you a kid you were in a similar situation and you learned to fight back. And you wanted the same for me…”

Dipper looked up to his Grunkle with watery eyes and a tearful smile.

“But I found out the reason why you being hard on me and giving me all the difficult chores was because you were trying to toughen me up. So whenever the world tried to fight me, I’d be able to fight back…Because you really _cared_ about me…”

Tears spilled down the boy’s cheeks, but he continued to look at his Grunkle with a sentimental smile. Stan struggled to connect his nephew’s story with his memories, but he was only drawing up blanks. He desperately wanted to say that he remembered experiencing everything that had happened in the story, just so he could make Dipper happy. But he could not bring himself to lie to his nephew.

Stanley responded with a sad frown. Tears began to form in his eyes, and when he blinked them away, they began to fall down his face. He feared that Dipper would hate him for not remembering.

He soon felt a small, warm hand on his old wrinkled one. Dipper was looking up at him with a sorrowful frown.

“It’s okay if you don’t remember…” The boy assured him.

Before Stan could respond, Dipper got up from the porch. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, Grunkle Stan,” He muttered before somberly retreating inside the Mystery Shack. The old man’s face twisted into a melancholic frown as he watched his nephew shut the door behind him, leaving him to his own devices.

Feeling helpless, Stan glanced down at the near-empty can of soda Dipper gave him earlier. Stuck in his malaise, He looked up towards the night sky for any assistance. There was a myriad of glistening constellations and asterisms that decorated the darkness above. His eyes happened upon the Big Dipper, which shined the brightest of them all. Stanley’s mind toiled through everything he could remember, which wasn’t much. He definitely remembered the kids, Soos, and Ford. He remembered certain events that occurred over the summer, though there were some things that were still hazy. He was at a loss for what he could do.

_If I can’t remember everything I did for the kids, I would never forgive myself..._

The old man sighed in defeat. He slowly got up from the porch and decided to turn in for the night.

* * *

As Stan was sound asleep on his old mattress, a series of familiar images flashed through his mind.....

_Dark clouds loomed over Glass Shard Beach Elementary School with light raindrops cascading onto the concrete playground. Stanley was minding his own business when a red rubber ball violently collided with his face. His face stung with excruciating pain and no one was around to help him. Only Crampelter and his goons guffawed at his misfortune. Stanley’s eyes were blinded by hot tears. He buried his head in his hands and cried as he ran away from the schoolyard bullies._

_On a hot summer day inside the local gymnasium, Stan was in the boxing ring pinned down on his back with his heavier opponent sitting on top of him. The boy struggled with every ounce of his strength to break free, but a gloved hand swiftly punched him in the face._

_After suffering multiple bullying incidents at school, Stanley was approached by his no-nonsense father, who had already signed him and his brother up for boxing as a way to learn proper self-defense. The stoic man hoped that boxing would prepare his son to fight against the cold harsh realities of the world. But ever since his first lesson, Stan was met with even more aggression from the other athletes. The schoolyard was paradise compared to what he endured in the boxing ring._

_While Stan was immobilized, he took a quick glance at his father standing on the sidelines. The old man’s arms crossed and wearing a cold hard expression behind his dark sunglasses. It was bad enough to be pulverized, but having his own Pa witnessing it was downright humiliating._

_Stanley wanted it all to stop. He couldn’t take another moment feeling weak and pathetic. Stan attempted to break free, using the only weapon he had at his disposal._

_“Left hook!!!” He cried out. Stanley raised his left hand and fiercely jabbed his opponent’s face._

_A few years later, Stanley walked downtown on his own to catch ‘Grandpa the Kid’ at the local movie theater. He wanted his twin brother Ford to join, but he turned down the invitation since he was hard at work preparing for the annual academic decathlon. Stan had to borrow his brother’s spare shirt and bowtie since his own clothes were in the laundry, and his mother insisted that he wore his prescription glasses so he could see better in the dark. He stood in line to purchase his ticket, feeling completely awkward and sweatier than usual._

_Out of the blue, he heard a young woman’s scream. He looked over to see a beautiful young lady struggling to protect her purse from some greasy-haired creep._  
_With quick thinking, Stanley decided to take action._

_“Left Hook!” He bellowed as he punched the jerk in the face. The would-be thief fell onto the concrete and the young lady safely secured her bag._

_Stan was surprised to hear the thunderous applause from the bystanders, and even more shocked when the girl gave him a kiss on the cheek. His face flushed red at the overwhelming praise he was receiving for his heroic deed._

_Decades have passed, and he was forced to uproot himself from New Jersey and found himself a home in a small, rural town in Oregon. On the front porch of the Mystery Shack, an elderly Stan Pines was seated on the old couch with Soos. The two of them watched Dipper hard at work with his task of chopping up firewood. Over the summer, Stan assigned his nephew with challenging chores, not to torture him, but as a way to develop discipline, strength, and endurance. Stan wanted Dipper to experience the same feelings of pride and joy at his own growing strength, just like how boxing empowered him when he was a boy._

_“You see? That’s why I'm hard on Dipper. To toughen him up.” Stanley explained to Soos. “So when the world fights, he fights back.” He gestured with a punch._

_“Do you think it's actually working?” Soos questioned._

_Stan responded with a smile as he gestured towards his nephew, who managed to cut the piece of wood in half. Dipper beamed at his accomplishment. “I-I did it!_ Ha ha _! Yes!”_

 _Stan smiled fondly at Dipper. “He's really comin' along! When push comes to shove, I'm actually proud of him.” He then nudged Soos’s arm. “Just...do_ n't _ever tell him that. His head is big enough as it is.”_

 _Out of the blue, Dipper had tumbled onto the deck. Stan looked at his nephew, immediately noting the gaping hole he had. As strange as it was, He knew what to do._  
_“Woah kid, what are you doin’ here?” Stan asked. “Nice hole in your chest by the way. Let’s fix that up.” With a small gesture from his finger, Stan managed to regenerate his nephew’s chest with ease._

_Dipper stared down at his recovered body in shock. “H-what the- How did you do that?”_

_“Word to the wise, kid. We're in the mind! You can do whatever you imagine in here!” To emphasize his point, Stan materialized a can of Pitt Cola. He used his powers to open up the tab and he started greedily chug down on his soda._

_“_ Well, _how about that?” Dipper replied with a smile._

_Suddenly, the horrified screams of Mabel and Soos, along with menacing laughter, echoed through the front porch._

_Dipper jolted upwards, surprising his Grunkle. “Oh my gosh! What am I doing? I gotta stop Bill!” Dipper exclaimed. The boy dashed towards the portal, exiting from the memory._

_Stan watched as his courageous nephew with a proud smile....._

“Huh, fighting back.” Stan sighed contentedly.

His eyes fluttered open, adjusting his sight to his cramped bedroom. He noticed the sunlight escaping from his blinds and seeping into his room.  
He remembered everything Dipper had told him!

Stan forced himself to get up to tell his nephew the good news. He groaned at his aching joints, but he managed to get himself on his feet. He dressed in his old red bathrobe and started down the stairs.

When he arrived in the kitchen, he looked over at the clock on the microwave. It was 7:15 in the morning. Stan slapped himself on the head. Of course, no one else was up this early in the morning. He would have to wait a bit longer for everyone else to get up.

The old man decided to cook himself some food to make the time go by quicker. As he approached the refrigerator, he looked over to the window and caught the sight of a young man hauling away at work.

He took a closer look and noticed Dipper cutting up some firewood on the stump. Stan saw the boy take a block of wood, placing it carefully on the stump. Dipper lifted up the ax over his head brought it down, slicing the wood into two clean pieces. He then picked up the bits of wood and added them to the abundant pile of smaller pieces of wood nearby. A clear sign of how much work he had accomplished.

Stan beamed at the progress Dipper was making. His nephew used to struggle with this task, having his ax stuck in the firewood before managing to cut it. Now he was able to chop through the wood with relative ease. The kid had made a lot of progress over the course of one summer.

Stan slammed the refrigerator door and made a hasty exit from the kitchen. Dashing through the living room, he approached the front door and halted. He quickly opened the door and bolted onto the front porch. He immediately called out to his nephew.

“Looks like my methods to toughen you up have finally paid off, huh kiddo?”

Upon hearing the familiar gravelly voice, Dipper whipped his head around to see his great uncle standing outside the house. Stan smiled as he eagerly spoke to his nephew. “You used to have trouble with using the ax, but now look at ya! You’re cutting up firewood like a pro!”

Dipper grinned at Stan. Placing his ax back on the stump, he ran towards his Grunkle and tackled him in a loving embrace. Stan reciprocated by circling his arms around his nephew and pulling him into a comforting hug.

“You remembered!” Dipper exclaimed. “You actually remembered!!”

“You think I was gonna forget about the effort and hard work you put in all summer?” Stan asked playfully. Dipper chuckled as he buried his head in his Grunkle’s chest.  
“I’ll always remember how much you’ve grown, Dipper.” Stan softly affirmed as he sentimentally looked at his nephew. “And I’m proud of ya.”

He tousled Dipper’s hair, causing the boy to laugh joyfully. The two Pines gently released themselves from the embrace. “Alright, why don’t ya hit the showers kiddo,” Stan suggested. “I’m gonna make everyone  _Stancakes_ for breakfast and they’ll be ready when you’re done.”

Dipper looked at his Grunkle with slight concern.“You sure you’ll be okay with making breakfast by yourself?”

“Of course Dipper! I’m just gonna make some pancakes but I’ll add some of my arm hair for the magic touch!” Stan replied with a wink.

Dipper chortled. Stan really was getting his memories back. “Okay, Grunkle Stan.”

Stan pulled Dipper into a side hug, walking together as they made their way on the front porch and into the Mystery Shack.


End file.
